


Can You Forgive Me?

by WriterOfTheHeartland



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Morgana (Merlin), Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic Revealed, Morgana Knows about Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Pre-Relationship, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23483977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterOfTheHeartland/pseuds/WriterOfTheHeartland
Summary: When Arthur finds out about Merlin's magic, he banishes him from Camelot.Their friends try to convince Arthur he's making a big mistake, but when Merlin is nowhere to be found, can he fix it?
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 67
Kudos: 344





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure when this is set, but Arthur is King, Lancelot is alive and Morgana is good and has been sharing her magic with Merlin.
> 
> This is my first fic and I'm nervous haha.
> 
> Reviews are welcome, I'd like to improve!
> 
> Enjoy!

It had been a peaceful week in Camelot. No evil sorcerers had tried to invade the kingdom, no bandits attacked during hunts and Merlin was quite enjoying these rare peaceful days. 

It didn't last much longer, of course.

Merlin was sparring with Arthur near the forest.

"Come on, Merlin," Arthur said, laughing as his servant fell onto his back. "You're not even trying!"

Merlin grinned as he sat up.  
"Would you go easier on me if I did?" 

"Nope," Arthur said, "now shut up, Merlin"

"Prat"

Arthur grinned as he reached out his hand and pulled Merlin up.

That moment, the peaceful days were over.

No less than 5 men started coming out of the forest and surrounded them. Arthur pushed Merlin away from them and grabbed his sword.

"Arthur!" Merlin yelled, hearing the clashing of swords as he tried to fight of the two men that were grabbing him.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled back, "Hang on, I'm coming!" 

"Oh no, you're not," one of the men fighting Arthur said. He took advantage of the prince's brief moment of distraction to skillfully disarm him. 

The other two men quickly grabbed Arthur tightly as the third pointed his sword to Arthur's chest.

Merlin's magic reacted before he could process what was happening. Just when the man with the sword was about to strike the finishing blow, the whole group flew back a few feet and landed on the ground, dead.

Only Merlin and Arthur were still standing. Merlin, panting from the fear and adrenaline leaving his body, and Arthur...

Arthur stood there, frozen with a look of terror on his face. When Merlin looked up into his eyes, the earlier fear rushed back, only ten times stronger.

They stood frozen for a few more moments, before the look on Arthur's face suddenly shifted from terror to pure rage. He grabbed his sword off of the ground and pointed it at Merlin, furiously walking towards him.

Merlin's eyes widened, but he couldn't move. He prayed to anyone that would listen that his magic wouldn't react again, but with an armed man charging towards him it was almost inevitable, even if that man was someone Merlin had come to consider a friend.

So, when Arthur suddenly dropped the sword only a few steps away from him, he didn't need to look at the glowing handle of the sword to know what he had done. For the first time since he'd arrived in Camelot, he had used his magic _against_ Arthur and it made him feel sick.

"A-Arthur...I..." he stammered, voice breaking from the tears. When had he started crying?

"Hold your tongue, _sorcerer_ ," Arthur spat the last word like it was poison, which made Merlin tear up even more.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." he choked out, "p-please... let me...let me explain...please Arthur"

"I don't need an explanation, Merlin!" Arthur yelled, grabbing Merlin by his jacket. "You betrayed me! How are you going to explain that, huh?!"

Merlin couldn't stop the sobs that wrecked his body. His heart felt as if it were made of stone and he wanted nothing more than for the earth to swallow him whole.

"I... I-I use it for you... Arthur... only for... only for you"

"Don't give me that!" Arthur yelled, raising his free arm and punching Merlin to the ground. "All you've done from the beginning is lie to me!"

Merlin could barely feel the pain in his cheek as he let Arthur lift him slightly by his jacket.

"You will leave Camelot immediately, do you understand?" Arthur spat, his face dangerously close to Merlin's. "If you don't, I will have a pyre ready *tonight*"

"Arthur... please..." Merlin begged.

"Stop it," Arthur said, aggressively shoving him back and standing up. "You have and hour to leave. If I see your face around here again, I will not be this merciful."

And just like that, this peaceful week in Camelot had been Merlin's last.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left Kudos/Comments, I really appreciate it 
> 
> Enjoy!

"What's wrong, my boy?"

Merlin had been holding himself together relatively well on his way to Gaius' chambers, but hearing that one simple question broke him back down again. 

Gaius quickly gathered his ward in his arms and stroked his back, patiently waiting for him to speak.

"He- He knows, Gaius... he knows" Merlin felt his mentor's shoulder tense as he sobbed into it.

"What happened?" Gaius asked when Merlin pulled away.

"We were sparring when suddenly these men attacked us out of nowhere. They were..." Merlin took a deep breath. "They were going to kill Arthur and my magic reacted out of instinct. He told me I had an hour to leave Camelot. I'm sorry Gaius, I'm so sorry."

"Oh, Merlin, it will be alright," Gaius said, soothingly. The fact that his ward was not being burned on the spot gave him hope there maybe be some truth to those words.

"I suppose it's better than the pyre," Merlin said, "but how am I supposed to protect Arthur if I'm not around? I'm supposed to have this great destiny! Without it, I'm just useless."

Gaius didn't know what to say as his ward walked past him and into his room.

***

Arthur strode angrily to the training fields. Training session didn't start for another 10 minutes, but he felt the overwhelming need to hit something.

When the knights arrived they shared confused looks upon seeing their friend.

"Eh, Princess? What exactly did that training doll do to you to deserve such a beating?" Gwaine asked. "Did it try to kiss Merlin or something?" he added, trying to lighten the mood.

Arthur visibly tensed upon hearing his servant's name, making the knights even more concerned.

"Arthur..." Lancelot asked carefully, "Where is Merlin?"

He flinched when Arthur punched the training doll extra hard, before facing his knights.

"He isn't here, okay?! He isn't here, and he never will be again!" Arthur took a deep breath and looked at the knights' confused faces. "He betrayed me and I banished him. I don't want to hear another word on the topic, now get training!"

The knights did as they were told, but they couldn't believe what Arthur had told them.

Lancelot felt like he was going to throw up. Arthur knows. There was no other way, right? Merlin would never betray Arthur. Arthur _knows_. He hadn't sentenced Merlin to death, though. Was that a good sign? He was still banished...

Gwaine easily disarmed him in his distraction. He picked his sword back up, but Gwaine had lowered his.

"Lancelot," he said, " I know you also only just heard this, but do you have any idea what could've happened?"

Lancelot's eyes widened. "I-I may, but I can't tell you..."

"Lance," Gwaine said, a knowing look in his eyes.

"I mean, it's Merlin's secret and I couldn't possibly-"

"Lancelot," Gwaine said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I think we already know."

Leon, Percival and Elyan had all been listening to the conversation and went to stand beside Gwaine.

Lancelot furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Merlin has magic, doesn't he?" Gwaine said. Lancelot tensed, not knowing what to say.

"I'll take that reaction as a yes" Gwaine grinned.

"How...How did you know?" Lancelot stammered.

"We've had our suspicions for a while now," Leon said. "Turns out we were right."

"Merlin isn't as discrete as he thinks," Elyan laughed.

Lancelot couldn't help but chuckle at that. It was true, after all, and he had told Merlin that on numerous occasions.

"But," he said, still not exactly sure what to make of the situation, "you're okay with it?"

"Well," Leon said, "it took some time getting used to, especially for me, but with or without magic, he's still Merlin. The most selfless, loyal boy in all of Camelot and the last person to betray Arthur."

"I'm glad we're on the same page about that," Lancelot said relieved, "but Arthur doesn't seem to feel the same..."

Their smiles fell as they looked at their prince.

"Then we'll just have to do something about that"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment if you want to!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls find out and Arthur better run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is!
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who left Kudos/Comments

Merlin swung his bag around his shoulder and stepped out of his bedroom to find Gaius waiting for him.

Merlin walked over to him and pulled him into a hug, the cruel reality that this was the last one they'd ever share making his eyes tear up again.

"I'm sorry, Gaius," he said, letting the tears fall freely and not pulling away.

"Stop apologizing, my boy," Gaius said, fighting back tears for the sake of the boy in his arms. The boy who he'd grown to love like a son. "Everything will be alright."

Merlin didn't protest, he just desperately wanted to believe that was true.

"Can you do me a favor?" he asked shakily, reluctantly pulling away from his mentor. "Take care of Arthur for me."

"Of course," Gaius answered, keeping his hands on Merlin's arms.

Merlin wiped his eyes and smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. "I suppose this is goodbye," he said. "Thank you, Gaius, for everything."

"No, thank you, my boy," Gaius said, fighting back tears again. "Take care of yourself."

With a nod and one last weak smile, Merlin walked out of his chambers. 

As Gaius closed the door, he let his walls break down.

***

Gwen was on her way to Gaius' chambers to get a sleeping draught for the Lady Morgana when she saw Merlin on the other side of the hallway, wiping his eyes.

Was he crying? Gwen opened her mouth to call out to him, but he'd already rounded a corner. She decided to ask Gaius about it.

When she opened the door to Gaius'chambers, however, she stopped dead in her tracks. 

The physician was sitting at his worktable with his head in his hands, sniffling quietly.

"Gaius?" Gwen asked, tentatively walking over to him.

Gaius looked up at her. "Oh, Gwen," he said, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat. "Do you need anything?"

"Well, I was on my way here to get a sleeping draught for Morgana, but then I saw Merlin walking out of the castle, crying," she replied. "I thought maybe you knew what happened, but if it's something personal you don't have to tell me, of course!" she said quickly. If it was something between Merlin and Gaius she didn't want to interfere. 

Gaius smiled a little at Gwen's concern for his nephew, but it fell again quickly.

"Merlin has been banished," he said slowly, voice shaking.

"What?" Gwen said, dumbfounded. "Banished? Why?"

"Gaius," she said when the physician didn't answer, "we both know Merlin would never do anything to make Arthur banish him, so please, tell me what happened."

Gaius looked hesitant, but he sighed and looked Gwen straight in the eye.

"Merlin has magic"

Gwen world stopped for a moment. Merlin, her clumsy, stupidly loyal best friend, had magic? She wanted to protest, tell Gaius that couldn't be true, but it made sense. It just made sense, didn't it? Him and Arthur surviving fatal injuries, the weird situations they'd keep finding themselves in ever since he arrived in Camelot and the constant mentions of conveniently falling branched when the knights came back from a hunt. Of course Merlin had magic.

She smiled when she noticed Gaius was still looking at her, waiting for some kind of reaction.

"It's okay, Gaius," she said, "I'm okay with it. It's Merlin."

Gaius visibly relaxed at her words, but he looked sad again.

Gwen's own smile fell as she voiced his thoughts.

"But not everyone is," she said.

Gaius nodded and explained what had happened, before sending Gwen off with the sleeping draught.

***

"What's wrong, Gwen?" Morgana asked when her maid entered her chambers. "You look troubled."

"It's Merlin..." Gwen confessed.

Morgana's eyes widened. "What's wrong with Merlin?" she asked, already fearing the answer.

Gwen bit her lip. She couldn't just tell her his secret, could she? She would probably find out eventually, though...

"Arthur banished him," she said.

Without waiting for any further explanation, Morgana bolted out of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it :)
> 
> As always, Kudos and Comments are appreciated!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur's in trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter! Have a chapter!
> 
> Stay healthy and safe everyone

Morgana angrily strode towards Arthur's chambers. She hadn't needed Gwen to explain the reason for Merlin's banishment, she already knew exactly what had happened.

Merlin had come to her a few months earlier, looking anxious. When Morgana had asked him what was wrong he'd confessed his secret. 

He told her about the great destiny he and Arthur shared and when he told her about her part in it, she understood. She understood why he had come to her and why he hadn't done so sooner.

Ever since that day they discussed their magic together and Merlin helped Morgana understand and cope with her dreams. She was incredibly grateful to him and she wasn't about to let that come to an end because of Arthur's ignorance.

***

Arthur had just come back from the training session with his knights when the door to his chambers opened, revealing a furious looking Morgana.

Before he could say anything Morgana closed the distance between them and slapped him right in the face.

"What the hell, Morgana?!" Arthur yelled, his hand shooting up to his cheek in shock.

"No, Arthur, that's my line!" Morgana yelled back, unleashing all her anger. "What the hell were you thinking banishing Merlin?!"

"Gosh, Morgana, I'm not in the mood for this," Arthur said, running a hand down his face. "The boy's a sorcerer!"

"I don't care if you're in the mood or not!" Morgana yelled, anger not quite subsiding yet. "And so what if he's a sorcerer? Magic or not, isn't he still the same? Isn't he still Merlin?"

Arthur's glare mixed with a hint of surprise. "Did you know about this? About Merlin having magic?"

"I had my suspicions," Morgana lied easily.

"You 'had your suspicions' and you didn't think to tell me?!" Arthur was back to yelling again.

"Do you blame me for not telling you if you're going to react like _this_?!" Morgana yelled back. "Merlin has always been a loyal friend to you and you just go ahead and banish him the moment he does something you don't like!"

"Morgana, he is a sorcerer! He used _magic_! Need I remind you that magic is illegal?" 

"Yes, magic is illegal," Morgana said, her tone suddenly dangerously calm.  
"It's illegal, because a King once let himself become blinded by hatred. But you know what Arthur? That king isn't here anymore. You're the King now. You can put an end to the war against magic, because deep down you know magic isn't evil. Deep down, you know what's best for your kingdom, and once you start acting on it you'll become a great King."

Morgana noticed she really started to sound like Merlin, but she didn't care. If her friend wasn't here to lecture this oblivious King, she would do it for him.

"Merlin's a friend to all of us, Arthur," she said before leaving the room. "Don't forget that."

***

Merlin had taken a horse from the stables and ridden straight out of the gates, knowing looking back would be too painful.

He'd decided to go back to Ealdor and help his mother until he had a place to stay on his own. 

He'd been riding for about half an hour when he heard a sound, coming from behind the trees. He listened carefully and dismounted his horse when he heard it again, closer this time.

He winced at the thought of having to use magic, the look of betrayal on Arthur's face clear in his mind. He tried to suppress it, but it was ready on his fingertips to attack as he listened for any more sounds.

He relaxed slightly when he didn't hear or see anything for several moments, but he suddenly sensed someone behind him.

Before he had the chance to turn around he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.

He felt himself fall to the ground before his vision faded to black and he slipped into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading :)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left a comment, they honestly make me so happy!


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The villain appears, Arthur is stubborn and Gwen's pissed

When Merlin opened his eyes he felt disoriented. He looked around through half lidded eyes, trying to make out anything in the dark room. 

Noticing he couldn't move his arms, he looked up to see chains around them.

Memories rushing back to him, his eyes shot open fully. He was tied up in the middle of the room, arms bound together by chained cuffs connected to the ceiling and his feet barely touching the ground.

Arthur's look of betrayal flashing before his eyes again, Merlin reluctantly reached out for his magic, but he couldn't feel it. His blood ran cold as he looked back up at his hands, realising with horror what kind of cuffs he was trapped in. The cuffs that were binding him were made of iron, suppressing his magic.

A great sense of panic overtook him, but a part of him felt strangely content. That didn't make sense, though, did it? He couldn't use his magic!

But, was that really such a bad thing? If he couldn't use his magic, he would never have to disappoint Arthur again. If he kept these on forever, would Arthur take him back as his servant? 

Even though the cuffs made him feel strangely hollow, like a part of him was missing, the thought of keeping them on for Arthur was very tempting...

"I see you have noticed my little tools," a voice spoke from the darkness, shaking Merlin from his thoughts. "Pretty handy, don't you think?"

The figure lit a torch on the wall and stepped into the light, revealing a woman. She had long, curly, black hair and appeared to be only a few years older than Merlin.

She smirked when Merlin didn't react.  
"Not much of a talker, huh?"

"Why am I here?" Merlin said, coldly.

"You don't know? Have a guess," she said, still smirking. "You're no fun," she sighed when Merlin didn't reply.  
"I want to defeat King Arthur so I can take the throne and rule over Camelot. I thought you'd get this a lot, being the King's servant and all..."

"I'm not giving you any information on the King," Merlin said, ignoring her annoying blabber.

"Oh no, sweetie, I don't need information," the woman said, her voice sounding overly sweet yet poisonous at the same time. "You see, when my men failed to kill the King I thought I had to come up with a whole new plan, but then his servant conveniently wandered through the forest, all alone. I think you can fill in the rest yourself. Arthur will come looking for you and walk right into my trap." 

She stepped closer to Merlin, her face mere inches from his. "I just thought it would be a bit more difficult to kidnap the 'great sorcerer' everyone keeps talking about," she added, a challenging glint in her eyes.

"You're wasting your time," Merlin said, confidently. "The King won't come for his _great sorcerer_." The reality of that sentence hurt deeply, but he didn't let it show.

"Oh, but I think he will, honey," she said, running a finger over his jaw. 

"And while we wait for him, I can have my fun with you."

***

Arthur woke up the next morning from a restless sleep. Morgana's words had been on his mind the entire time, but he wasn't going to listen. He didn't need a traitor as a servant.

He got out of bed and got dressed, definitely not putting on his shirt inside out at first. He was the King, he was perfectly capable of dressing himself, thank you very much.

He was about to head to the kitchens when the door opened, revealing Guinevere with a tray of food.

"Sire," she said, bowing her head and walking in when Arthur stepped out of the way. "I came to bring you your breakfast." She didn't look at him while she put the tray down on the table.

"There's a Round Table meeting in 10 minutes," she said, still not looking at him. Gwen headed for the door, but Arthur grabbed her arm before she could reach it.

"Gwen," he said, "what's wrong?"

Oh God, that was _not_ the right thing to say.

Gwen slowly looked up at him with the fakest smile he had ever seen, barely containing her anger.

"Oh, I don't know, _Sire_ ," she said, "What could possibly be wrong, apart from the fact that you _banished Merlin? ___

__"Morgana told you," Arthur sighed._ _

__"No, Arthur, actually she didn't!" Gwen snapped. "I found out when I saw Merlin practically running out of the castle, crying!"_ _

__"Do you even know why I banished him, or are you just here to yell at me?" Arthur snapped back. "Because I can assure you, I had a perfectly good reason."_ _

__"No, you didn't!" Gwen yelled, "Magic isn't a 'good reason' to banish a friend!"_ _

__"You knew?" Arthur asked. Why did everyone know?_ _

__"Gaius told me after I asked what was wrong with Merlin." Gwen said._ _

__Arthur looked at her in disbelief. "So, you found out just yesterday and you're still defending him like it's the most normal thing in the world? You're defending a sorcerer?"_ _

__"No, Arthur, I'm defending a _friend_!" Gwen was back to yelling again. "Merlin is my friend and he is yours as well!"_ _

__She took a deep breath before continuing._ _

__"Listen, I'm sorry for yelling at you, but please think about this. I know you've been raised to hate magic, but we're talking about Merlin here and he's been nothing but loyal since the day he set foot in Camelot. I'm asking you, think this through. It's not too late to change your mind."_ _

__Gwen sighed when Arthur didn't say anything._ _

__"Let's just go before we're late for the meeting." Arthur said, walking past her, out the door._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehm okay, so, just in case I'm not the only person in the entire fandom that didn't know this exists, I'll just leave this here: 
> 
> https://merlin6kingdomcome.tumblr.com/post/138689580349/merlin-season-6-kingdom-come-script-episode-1
> 
> Kudos and Comments are appreciated, as always!


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur finally comes to his senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to point out any grammar mistakes/ mistakes in general :)  
>  I edit these chapters like 10 times, but I feel like there will probably be some mistakes somewhere haha

Arthur walked into the throne room to find his knights already seated at the Round Table.

They were quietly discussing something, but stopped as soon as he entered the room. Arthur could already guess what it was about.

Ever since they'd heard about Merlin's banishment, the Knights of the Round Table had been wondering what exact had happened. They knew Arthur had to have found out about Merlin's magic, but how?

Arthur sat down. "Thank you all for being here, as always," he said, starting the meeting.

They discussed some basic matters regarding the castle and nearby villages, but everyone seemed a bit distracted. Arthur hadn't really prepared anything for the meeting, considering the whole situation from the day before, so he decided to cut it short.

"Lastly, I would like to increase the number of guards around the castle for the rest of the week," Arthur silently cursed himself upon realising he was gonna have to explain that statement. "The other day, I was attacked by a group of five men coming from out of the forest," he explained, hoping the knights would leave it at that.

They didn't, of course.

"Wait, you were attacked?" Leon said, shocked. "Why didn't we hear about this sooner?"

"It wasn't a big deal, I was able to fight them off easily," Arthur lied, "I would just like to avoid any similar events in the future."

Gwaine furrowed his brow. "Princess, I won't deny you're a skilled knight, but there's no way you fought off _five_ armed men by yourself," he said. "Actually, there's no way you even were by yourself to begin with, Merlin sticks to you like glue-"

Silence fell over the room as those last few words sank in, before it was broken by a disbelieving snort from Gwaine.

"Wow, you're unbelievable," he said, looking at Arthur in disbelief. "Merlin saved your royal backside again, didn't he?"

"I thought I was very clear I don't want to talk about this," Arthur said, growing irritated. Why couldn't he just have one conversation without someone bringing up his former manservant?

"Wait," he said, Gwaine's words fully sinking in, "what do you mean ' _again_ '?"

"You really are as thick as Merlin claims," Gwaine said, trying to stay calm and failing miserably. "Merlin is constantly saving you! He used his magic to save your life and you thank him by banishing him?!"

Arthur was shocked, though he knew he really shouldn't be at this point. "You knew," he said. Looking around at his other knights' expressions, he could tell Gwaine wasn't the only one. "You all did. Why is it that everyone seems to know about Merlin being a sorcerer, except for me?"

Arthur stood up, sighing. "Consider this meeting done," he said, before leaving the room.

***

"That went well," Gwaine said, sighing.

He hadn't meant to get angry at Arthur, but the thought of his best friend being out there, alone and banished from his home, made him lose his temper.

Judging from the King's reaction, the knights could tell Gwaine had been right about what had happened the previous day.

Elyan sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it now," he said. "Let's try again tomorrow."

With that, the knights left the Round Table, still feeling no closer to getting their friend back.

***

That evening Arthur found himself sitting on one of the castle walls looking out over the courtyard. Watching the stars from this spot always helped him relax and clear his mind. The stars couldn't solve his problems, though. 

He knew everyone was right. Guinevere, Morgana, his knights. They were all right, but he still felt so conflicted.

And if they weren't enough, there was that feeling as well. That feeling he'd get in his stomach every time Merlin smiled, teased him or even when he did something incredibly clumsy and left Arthur feeling empty with the thought of never seeing any of that again.

Arthur wasn't stupid, contrary to what Merlin constantly claimed. He knew what this feeling was. 

Not only had he fallen, no, more like crashed face first into the ground, for a _male servant_ , that servant had also turned out to be a _sorcerer_ and he had then proceeded to _banish_ said sorcerer. He felt like such a clotpole.

He noticed someone sitting down next to him, but he didn't need to look at them to know who it was.

***

Lancelot was walking towards the castle doors when he'd spotted Arthur, spaced out with a troubled expression on his face.

He went to the spot Arthur was sitting on and sat down next to him. He knew the King had noticed him and waited patiently for him to speak.

A few moments passed before Arthur did so.

"I know you don't agree with my judgement," he said.

"And I know you're second-guessing your judgement," Lancelot replied.

Arthur felt like he should be concerned about being so easy to read, but he was secretly very glad he was.

He smiled briefly at Lancelot, before fixing his gaze on the stars once again. Lancelot did the same and they sat in comfortable silence for a moment, before Lancelot spoke up again.

"You know how I found out about Merlin?" he asked, making Arthur look at him. "The same as you. He saved my life."

Arthur just stared at him, but Lancelot saw the unspoken question in his eyes.

"Do you remember the incident with the Griffin?" he said. When Arthur nodded, he continued. "You thought I was the one who defeated it, but that's only partly true. The Griffin could only be defeated by magic."

"Merlin and I found you unconscious, which left only me to defeat it, so I attacked it with a lance. I knew it was almost bound to fail, but suddenly the lance lit up a bright blue and it killed the Griffin in one hit. When I turned around I saw Merlin running towards the castle, so it was pretty obvious what had happened."

Arthur let that sink in for a moment. "That's such a long time ago..." he said, "Has he really been hiding this from me all this time?" 

Lancelot wasn't sure what to say, but Arthur continued speaking.

"I just don't understand why he would come to Camelot if he studied magic."

_Oh,_ Lancelot thought, _he doesn't know._

"Arthur," he said, "Merlin... didn't study magic."

Arthur looked at him with such a confused expression, Lancelot would've found it funny under different circumstances.

"He was born with it. He never chose any of this, but what he did choose is to protect you, and that's what he did yesterday."

Silence fell upon them once more as Arthur tried to process all this new information.

"It would be a lie to say I've never questioned the evil in magic," Arthur said after a few minutes. "It's just... my father has always taught me it _is_ evil and I feel like I have to live up to him. I know he isn't here anymore and that I'm King now, but I don't want to disappoint him."

"I get it," Lancelot sent him a sympathetic smile. "It must be hard to go against everything you've been taught, but magic is a tool, Arthur. Think of it as a sword. It in itself is neither good nor evil, it depends on the person who wields it."

A look of understanding crossed Arthur's face and he let out a chuckle, putting his head in his hand. "Wow," he said, "All my life, I've been taught that magic is evil, then suddenly he comes along and everything is different."

Lancelot, as well as the rest of Arthur's friends and possibly the entire kingdom, had already noticed Arthur's feelings for his manservant, but it still surprised him how lovingly the King said that. 

Arthur dropped his hand and looked at his friend. "I don't know what to do, Lancelot." 

Lancelot smiled.

"How about we go get him?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but it's here!
> 
> If you care about my reasoning, I just didn't know what to put in this chapter and what to save for later chapters for a while haha
> 
> Anyway, enjoy :)

Merlin slowly opened his eyes. He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, but he was glad he'd managed to do so despite the uncomfortable pull on his arms. He figured it was morning, but he couldn't be sure in the dark, likely underground room.

The woman who captured him didn't seem to be there, giving him a chance to try and escape. He tried pulling at the chains, but only ended up making his arms hurt more when they didn't budge.

The cold iron cuffs didn't exactly help either. In fact, the restriction of his magic was gradually becoming more and more uncomfortable. Merlin could feel himself slowly becoming weaker the longer he wore them.

Merlin tried pulling free one more time before giving up. The reality of the situation really started to kick in then. 

He was trapped. He was trapped and no one knew about it. He hadn't exactly had the time to send word to his mother and his friends back in Camelot had no way of knowing he was kidnapped.

Merlin felt himself trembling slightly, but he reminded himself of the most important thing; _Arthur_. As long as Arthur didn't know, he wouldn't come looking for him. He would be safe.

 _'Even if he knew, he wouldn't come to rescue a sorcerer,'_ a voice in his head told him.

"Shut up," Merlin whispered to himself, even though he knew it was true. "As long as Arthur is safe, I don't care what happens to me."

_'Even if he doesn't care what happens to you either?'_

Merlin closed his eyes and focused on breathing slowly. He only opened them again when he heard a door opening.

"Good morning," the familiar, honeyed voice of his captor sounded. "I hope you slept well, you'll be needing your strength today."

Merlin didn't know what she meant by that, but it didn't take him long to figure it out.

His eyes widened slightly as the sorceress stepped closer, dropping a few items on the floor that looked too much like whips and daggers for Merlin's liking.

"Who are you?" Merlin asked, trying to keep his voice steady. 

"Oh, how rude of me," the sorceress said, "the name's Jude."

Merlin didn't say anything, so she continued.

"Though you don't need any introductions, Emrys. Or, should I say, _Merlin_."

The way she said his name made his skin crawl. She picked up one of the daggers and walked around him.

"Why wait for Arthur?" Merlin said, mentally kicking himself. He'd wanted to get the sorceress back to where he could see her movements, especially with the dagger she was now holding, and ended up saying the first stupid thing that came to his mind.

It worked, at least.

"What?" Jude said, walking back to her spot in front of Merlin.

"I-I mean, you've got me, right?" Merlin said. "Why wait until Arthur comes for me instead of just attacking?" _Sure, go ahead and give the enemy ideas on how to take over Camelot, idiot_.

The sorceress didn't respond, giving Merlin a chance to try and talk himself out of it.

"Oh, I see," he said, trying to sound as sassy and challenging as he could manage. "Your men weren't capable enough to kill one man and you can't do anything by yourself, so you had to kidnap me to get the work done for you." 

He hissed as he felt a sharp pain in his arm. A long, shallow cut could be seen on his right upper arm .

"Do not speak ill of my men!" Jude growled. "You're the one who killed them and I will not let you get away with it unscathed."

"You're going to kill me?" 

Merlin hadn't meant to ask that, but it got out before he knew it.

"Oh, no, Merlin," Jude said, laughing devilishly. "If I keep you alive, it will be so much more fun to kill your precious King right before your eyes."

Merlin was pretty sure he'd rather be killed than have to witness that. He felt slightly nauseous at the thought.

"After that, I'll see what I'm gonna do with you," the sorceress continued, pressing the dagger against his cheek. Merlin could feel a small stream of warm liquid streaming down his face.

"I'm sure the Druids will pay good money in exchange for their great leader. Or maybe I'll keep you as _my_ servant."

"You're wasting your time," Merlin grinned. "I've told you multiple times, Arthur isn't coming and even if he was, a lousy sorceress like you wouldn't stand a chance against him."

He yelled out in pain as one of the whips hit him hard in his side.

"Be careful who you call a lousy sorceress, boy," Jude spat. "I think it's time for me to show you who's in charge here."

\---

Everything hurt.

The sorceress seemed to be satisfied with the damage she caused as she left the room, leaving Merlin alone, panting.

He looked around, trying to focus on anything other than the pain, but the way the room was slightly spinning only made him nauseous.

The better part of his chest was covered in small cuts and long, red whip marks that would surely leave some nasty bruising within the next two days.

Merlin had had worse, but still. He'd prefer this to not become a regular occurrence. He feared his captor had different plans, though.

When the room finally stopped spinning, Merlin went to pull on the chains again, but stopped himself. Weighing his options, he made a decision; either he escaped or he stayed here.

If he managed to escape, he'd have to find a way to warn Arthur about the sorceress. Merlin may be confident in Arthur's skills, but he had no idea how strong this sorceress actually was.

If he stayed here, however, Arthur didn't have to know. If he didn't know he wouldn't come, and there would be no threat. 

_It may hurt for me, but at least Arthur will be safe._

It always came down to that, didn't it? Merlin had made his decision. It didn't last long, though.

The door opened as Jude entered the room again

"Miss me much?" she said.

"Oh yes," Merlin said sarcastically, "it was unbearably lonely."

The sorceress grinned. "Haven't lost your spirit yet, huh? I can see why Arthur is so fond of you."

"He isn't," Merlin said, getting tired of repeating himself. "I already told you. He doesn't care and he isn't coming."

He knew it was true and it hurt, _dammit it hurt_ , but it was for the best. It was, as long as Arthur was safe, which is why the following words made his blood run cold.

"But, Merlin," Jude said, grinning, "if he isn't coming, why is he preparing to ride out as we speak?"


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Character development

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sips tea in front of the calendar*
> 
> Okay but seriously guys, I'm sorry it takes me this long to update, but writer's block appears to be my middle name.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who waits on my slow ass haha 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy <3

"If he isn't coming, why is he preparing to ride out as we speak?"

\---

Arthur was, in fact, preparing to ride out, after having sent a servant to inform his knights of the trip. Preferably he would have left right away, but he knew it would be better to go in the morning after a full night's sleep. 

Before going to bed, though, there was something he had to do. He left his chambers and made his way through the castle.

Stopping in front of the physician's chambers, he knocked on the door.

"Come in!" was heard from inside.

Arthur hesitated for a moment, but took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Sire," Gaius said, straightening his posture upon seeing the King enter his chambers. "How can I help you?"

"You don't have to do anything, Gaius," Arthur said. "I came to apologize."

He saw Gaius relax a little and somehow felt even more horrible than before. He swallowed.

"It was wrong of me to banish Merlin, and I regret it," he continued. "I didn't think in the heat of the moment, though I know that's not an excuse for what I've done."

Pausing for a moment to find the right words, he looked Gaius straight in the eyes.  
"I know that magic in itself isn't evil. I know that now, but I should've realised that a long time ago. So, I wanted to say, I'm sorry that I didn't."

Gaius didn't know how to respond, but Arthur wasn't done yet.

"However, I know that saying sorry isn't enough and will never be even close to enough. I want to make things right, so tommorow I'm going to go get Merlin back and after that, I'm legalizing magic in Camelot."

A few moments passed in which neither of them knew what to say, before Gaius smiled and pulled him into a hug. Arthur was surprised, but quickly returned the embrace.

"Merlin always said you were going to be a great king one day," Gaius said, as he pulled away. "I can see that he was right."

Arthur smiled at the older man in relief. "I have to return to my chambers now. I'm leaving first thing in the morning."

"Do you know where to go?" Gaius asked.

"I assumed he would be going back to Ealdor" 

"Yes, that's right," Gaius said, smiling. "Go get some sleep, you've got a long trip ahead of you."

Arthur nodded and headed to the door.

"Arthur," Gaius called, just before Arthur was out the door. 

"Bring him back."

***

Merlin jerked as he felt a sudden pull at the back at his neck. He looked up to see Jude standing in front of him with his red neckerchief in her hand.

"Bait," she smirked, before walking out the door.

Outside she tied the neckerchief to a low branch on the side of the road.

***

When Arthur walked onto the courtyard the next morning his knights were already waiting for him, ready to leave.

He approached them and looked around the group. 

"Listen," he started, "I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around these past few days. I have been unfair to you because I didn't want to admit I made a mistake. So, I want to thank you for staying by my side now that I'm trying to correct it."

"Only doing it for Merlin, princess," Gwaine said, but his smile gave him away. Arthur returned it.

They all mounted their horses and rode out of Camelot.

***

"We'll take the path on the left here," Arthur called to his knights.

They had been riding for a little while and the usual path to Ealdor was on their right.

"Why?" Gwaine asked.

"It's a shortcut"

Gwaine raised his eyebrows.

"I know the roads, okay?" Arthur defended himself. "It'll save us at least 20 minutes," he said before steering his horse onto the left path.

The rest of the group shared knowing glances before following their king.

A little further, on the usual path, the red piece of fabric went unnoticed.

***

The people of Ealdor all stopped what they were doing for a moment to look at the group of knights approaching their village. Children excitedly ran towards them when they dismounted their horses, but Arthur wasn't paying attention, instead looking around for any signs of his friend.

Hunith looked out of her window to see what all the commotion was about. Upon seeing Arthur she strode out of her house. 

"Sire"

Arthur turned around to face her.  
"Hunith," he said, relieved to see a familiar face. 

"What brings you here?" Hunith asked, worried. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," Arthur said, quickly. "No, nothing's wrong. I... came here to talk to Merlin."

"What do you mean?" Hunith said, frowning. "Merlin isn't here."

Arthur sighed. "Hunith, I get that you want to protect him, but I really, really need to talk to him. Please."

"Arthur, I don't get it," Hunith said. "Why would Merlin be here? Isn't he with you?"

"He... He really isn't here?" Arthur asked.

"No..." Hunith responded, concerned. "Should he be?"

"Gaius told me he went here..." Arthur muttered, mostly to himself. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Elyan.

"Is everything alright?" the knight asked, noticing Arthur looked slightly pale.

"Merlin..." Arthur said, "he isn't here."

"What?" 

"Can somebody please explain to me what's going on?" Hunith asked the group of knights now standing before her. 

Elyan looked at Arthur, who nodded. The group walked Hunith back to her house to explain the situation. Only Arthur and Lancelot stayed behind.

"Arthur?" Lancelot asked, concern audible in his voice. 

"He was supposed to be here..." Arthur muttered, pacing in front of his friend.

"Hey, maybe he just went somewhere else?" 

"No, Gaius told me he went to Ealdor."

"Well maybe he decided to go somewhere else after all," Lancelot tried, but it sounded unconvincing, even to his own ears.

"No, that wouldn't make sense. He doesn't have anywhere else to go," Arthur said. "I think he _was_ headed here."

He turned towards Lancelot.

"He just never arrived."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dum dum dummmm~  
> Y'all already knew tho lol
> 
> Looking people straight in the eyes will be the straightest thing both Arthur and I are capable of doing.
> 
> Hope you liked it, let me know in the comments! Love you all <3


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur's worried, and rightfully so.

Arthur was already untying the horses, ready to head back to Camelot immediately.

"Sire," Leon said, walking up to him. "I understand you want to go back as soon as possible, but we can't leave right now. The horses need to rest and soon it will be too dark to see." 

Arthur glared at him. "I can't just stay here, knowing Merlin is in danger! He needs our help."

"I know," Leon sighed, "but it will be too dark to search for him soon and even if we did manage to find him, we'll be no use to him if the horses are too exhausted to ride us back home."

"You're right," Arthur said after a moment, running a hand through his hair. "Of course you're right. I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's okay," Leon said, softly. "I get it. We all want Merlin to be safe."

Arthur smiled sadly.

"We should head back," Leon said, nodding towards the village. "Hunith has prepared us a place to sleep."

Arthur followed him to a small, empty house, where some of the town's people were laying down blankets and pillows on the floor.

He spotted Hunith by the door.  
"Sir Leon told me we have you to thank for this," he said when he reached her.

"Yes, Sire," Hunith said, glancing towards the makeshift beds. I know it's not a lot, but..."

"Thank you, Hunith," Arthur said, smiling earnestly. "We really appreciate it."

Hunith smiled back, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. 

Arthur noticed she kept fidgeting with her dress and looked a little tense. 

She opened her mouth to say something, but bowed her head instead before rushing off.

"Sire..." Leon started, but Arthur nodded.

"I'll go see if she's alright," he said, before following Merlin's mother.

He found her in her house, sitting with her head in her hands. He knocked softly on the open door to avoid startling her.

She looked up and quickly wiped her eyes when she saw Arthur.

"Sire," she said, avoiding his eyes. "Is there something you need?"

"No, actually, I just wanted to talk to you," Arthur replied. "Can I come in?"

Hunith nodded slowly. Arthur sat down next to her, pondering what to say.

"I'm sure you've heard what happened from the others," he started, not meeting her eyes. "I just wanted you to know that I'm really, really sorry. I'm... ashamed of what I've done to Merlin and everyone around him."

"It's my fault Merlin is missing, so it is my responsibility to bring him back," he continued. "Not only as a King, but as his friend."

Arthur turned towards Hunith and put his hand on her shoulder.  
"We _will_ get him back. I promise."

Hunith looked at him, smiling sadly.  
"You've always been so good to my son."

"Don't say that," Arthur said, averting his gaze. "If that were true, none of this would have even happened."

Hunith gently guided his face back to look at her.

"It is true," she assured him. "Going to Camelot and meeting you has been the best thing that has ever happened to my son. I can always tell when he's talking about you."

"He talks about me?" Arthur asked, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt.

"Oh yes," Hunith laughed. "All the time."

Arthur was suddenly very grateful for the dim light of the evening.

"Seriously though," Hunith sighed, "I can see how much you need each other. I know you're going to do everything you can to assure Merlin is safe and I am very grateful for that."

"I know you feel guilty, especially towards me," she continued when Arthur didn't look very assured. "But you don't have to. I could never be angry at you, knowing how deeply you care for my son."

"Thank you, Hunith," Arthur sighed in relief. 

"I should get back now," he said after a few moments, standing up. "My knights and I will ride for Camelot first thing in the morning."

Hunith nodded, standing up as well.

"Thank you again, for everything," Arthur said, before leaving her alone again.

***

Arthur lay down on the only empty makeshift bed, the rest already occupied by the sleeping knights.

Hunith had taken some weight off his shoulders, but he still found himself laying awake for what felt like hours.

'Hang on, Merlin, I'm coming for you' he thought, finally drifting off to sleep.

'Please be safe'

***

Merlin wasn't feeling very safe. Not when his captor just slammed open the door, looking furious.

She threw something on the ground what Merlin recognized to be his neckerchief. He let out a brief sigh of relief — Arthur hadn't found it.

The moment was short-lived, however, when he felt a hand slap him hard across his face.

The familiarity of the feeling somehow hurt more than the action itself.

The sorceress picked up a whip from the ground and started harshly hitting Merlin, unleashing her anger.

"He. Completely. Ignored. My. Trap," she yelled, hitting him in between each word. "And it's your fault!"

After a few minutes she threw the whip back on the floor, grinning at her prisoner who was trying to keep his eyes open.

She grabbed his throat and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I guess we'll just have to go over to plan B"

She left Merlin gasping for breath as she incanted a spell to unlock the chains from the ceiling.

Merlin fell to his knees, too weak to stand now that he wasn't being held up by the chains. The sorceress roughly grabbed his wrists and put her hands on the iron cuffs.

"Gedælan ic þu mægen!"

Merlin suddenly felt his energy draining at an alarming speed. Looking down at the cuffs in shock, he didn't see anything different, but he could feel what was happening.

His magic was being sucked out.

The room started spinning violently around him, until his eyes rolled back and everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot twist, I guess lol
> 
> I love you all, have a wonderful day 💜


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all!  
> Sorry for making you wait so long, but I hope you enjoy the new chapter <3

"Come on, Merlin," Arthur called behind him. "You're so slow!"

"Well, maybe I'd go faster if I actually knew where we were going," Merlin said, steering his horse to ride half beside Arthur. "Why don't you just tell me where you're taking me? We shouldn't go much deeper into the forest without any weapons."

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin," Arthur said. "We're almost there."

He saw Merlin roll his eyes and smiled. 

Arthur dismounted his horse when they reached an open field, Merlin following suit.

"Now," Arthur said, turning towards the younger boy, "close your eyes."

"Arthur, wha-" Merlin started, but Arthur cut him off.

"Just... close them, please?" he said, uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden.

Merlin opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to decide against it and slowly closed his eyes.

Arthur took his hand, smiling as he gently pulled him along. They walked to the middle of the field filled with beautiful gardenia flowers, where a blanket was spread out with all kinds of food on top.

"Okay," Arthur said, letting go of Merlin's hand and turning to face him. "You can open your eyes."

Merlin did so, a smile spreading across his face.

"You did all of this?" he asked, looking up at Arthur.

"Yes, Merlin, I am the King of Camelot. I'm capable of doing things myself," Arthur said, semi-defensively.

Merlin just smiled at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, the food came from the kitchens," Arthur admitted, "but I put everything here!"

Merlin tried to hold back his laughter, but failed and burst into a fit of giggles, which made Arthur's heart speed up significantly.

"And..." the King said, feeling his face heat up, "I made you something."

He opened one of the food baskets and pulled out a small flower crown made of forget-me-nots. A sense of relief washed over him when he saw the awed expression on the other's face.

"Arthur..." Merlin said after a few moments, "it's beautiful. Thank you."

Stepping closer, Arthur gently put the crown on the other's head. If either one of them blushed, they both pretended they didn't see it.

They spent what felt like both an eternity and not nearly long enough just sitting there, eating and talking about everything and nothing at all. Arthur smiled, hoping they could stay like this forever.

"Merlin," Arthur said, noticing some bread on the other's cheek, "you've got something on your face."

"Hm?" Merlin said, wiping the wrong side.

"No," Arthur laughed. "Wait, let me," he said, scooting over and wiping the crumbs away with his thumb.

His eyes looked into Merlin's beautiful blue ones, before falling down onto his lips. His heart sped up at the realisation how close he was to kissing him.

Oh god, this was the most cliche thing he had ever experienced in his life, but he just couldn't get himself to pull away. Instead, he slowly leaned in.

Merlin closed his eyes and he did the same, taking it as his cue to lean in all the way. He felt Merlin's lips briefly touch his, but before they could fully make contact he suddenly felt a strong force pull him away.

"What the-"

Arthur opened his eyes. Taking in his surroundings, he realised he wasn't where he was before. At least, not exactly.

He was standing alone in what appeared to be the same field he was sitting in mere seconds ago, except it was now filled with purple hyacinths. 

"Arthur!"

Turning around, he saw Merlin was being held down by two men who's faces Arthur couldn't quite make out.

"Merlin!" he wanted to call out, but no sound came out. Instead, he felt himself stepping forward, raising his sword.

_Wait, where did he get his sword?_

"A-Arthur?" 

Merlin had been pushed down onto his knees, looking up at Arthur with a more terrified expression than the King ever wanted to see on him again. 

Arthur tried to say something, anything, to calm him down, but even if he'd known what to say, his body didn't seem to cooperate. He involuntarily stepped forward again until he was directly in front of Merlin, and when he eventually did speak, the words weren't his.

"Hold your tongue, sorcerer." 

Merlin's devastated expression perfectly matched the way Arthur felt inside. He realised those horrible words were the least of his worries, however, when he felt himself raise his sword above his head.

No. No no nonononononoNO-

The flower crown withered away as the sword came down.

***

Arthur awoke with a start, shooting upright. It took him a few seconds to realise he was in Ealdor, surrounded by his sleeping knights. 

Laying back down, he sighed in a mixture between relief and frustration. The dream had felt so real, it left him unable to fall back asleep for whatever remained of the night.

***

Promptly upon arriving back in Camelot, Arthur informed the other knights of the situation and sent out search parties to search for any sign of Merlin.

Only when Arthur finally reached his chambers did he notice how exhausted he was. He wanted nothing more than to just lay down on his bed and sleep, but he knew he couldn't. There were too many things that needed to be done.

"Arthur!" a voice called from the hallway.

That was one of them.

Morgana walked in, grinning. "I see you've finally come to your senses," she said. "Though, you could have told me, you know."

"What?" Arthur said absentmindedly, feeling too tired to fully comprehend what she was trying to say.

"I'm proud of you, though. You actually listened to me for once!" Morgana continued, mockingly. "So, where's Merlin?"

"I don't know!" Arthur said, a bit too harshly, sitting down on his bed and putting his head in his hands. "I don't know..."

Morgana was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered and went to sit beside her brother.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, concern laced in her voice. "Arthur? Arthur, look at me."

She was surprised to see her brother's eyes were slightly red, before he looked away from her again to stare at the ground.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "It's just, we went to Ealdor, but he wasn't there, and... and I don't know where he is and if he- if he's okay and... and I- I have to talk to Gaius and to Guinevere, and I need to-"

"Arthur, no," Morgana interrupted him, noticing how distressed her brother actually was. "Right now, all you have to do is rest, okay? You look exhausted."

"But-" Arthur tried, but Morgana shushed him.

"No but's," she said, gently. "It's okay, I'll talk to Gaius and Gwen. Just try to get some sleep, I'll take care of it."

Arthur tried to argue again, but decided against it and nodded. He felt too exhausted to do anything now anyway.

He gave Morgana a tired smile as she walked out of the room. Kicking off his boots, he let himself fall against the pillows and almost immediately fell into a restless sleep.

***

Life in Camelot suddenly became a lot more gloomy. Word of what had happened had spread by now, and the absence of the cheerful serving boy seemed to have left the Kingdom with a permanently solemn atmosphere. Round Table meetings were no exception.

"There's still no sign of him, sire," Percival announced, sounding defeated.

Arthur could already tell, but hearing it out loud still hurt more than he'd like to admit. "We'll try again tomorrow," he said, hoping he sounded more optimistic than he felt.

"With all due respect, sire," Elyan said, hesitantly. "We've been searching constantly for almost two weeks now, with no sign of him anywhere. I hate to say it, but we don't know what else to do."

Arthur looked down at his hands on the table, pondering. They were right, he knew that, but he couldn't give up just like that. 

He had one more idea, but he wasn't so sure it was a good one. Then again, he would do anything to get his friend back, and as long as he still had ideas, he'd try them all.

"I think there's only one thing we _can_ do," Arthur said, before looking up at his knights. His decision had been made.

"Use magic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if the first part may come off as a bit cringy/cliche/whatever, but I needed the fluff and don't pretend like you didnt!  
> Anyways, I love you all! 
> 
> Also, I used some flower references (because, why not lol, flowers are a canon obsession in Merlin hahaha), which I'll list below for anyone that's interested.  
> I did, however, take these meanings from ✨ the Internet ✨, so if you're some kind of flower expert (which is very cool btw) please don't come @ me :')
> 
> Forget-me-not = true love, memories, hope  
> Gardenia = secret admiration and love   
> Hyacinth purple = forgive me
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, stay healthy and I love you! ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!
> 
> Sorry if there are any grammar mistakes, English isn't my first language.
> 
> Kudos and Reviews are highly appreciated :)


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